Teachers at a Catholic all-boys private school in Melbourne have alleged students saluted Hitler in class, made a young female teacher feel concerned about her personal safety and simulated anal sex while on a tram.
Per The Herald Sun, an Independent Education Union official interviewed teachers at Essendon’s St Bernard’s College in September this year.
They compiled the teachers’ shocking allegations into a 13-page report, which has been leaked.
A teacher claimed a student was suspended for “saluting the Sieg Heil in the classroom,” and a swastika was carved into a whiteboard in their classroom.
The teacher said it took two weeks for the Nazi symbol to be removed.
A young female teacher at St Bernard’s College “raised concerns about her personal safety after receiving threats from a student who had allegedly repeatedly sexually harassed her,” according to The Herald Sun.
She claimed a student allegedly said they knew “the way you go home” and allegedly told her they knew where she lived.
The same teacher alleged a student made comments about “her looks” and would look her up and down. She also claimed Year 9 students were “dry humping each other” in class, and in a Year 11 class, boys “were having an open conversation about their penis size”.
Teachers also told the union official about the students’ behaviour in public.
“On an excursion (teacher name withheld) had a group of boys on a tram where they proceeded to sing ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’ in relation to a woman,” the report claimed.
“Other boys simulated anal sex and were air-dropping sexual images on the tram.”
According to The Herald Sun, St Bernard’s College principal Michael Davies said the school took the teachers’ concerns “extremely seriously” and “acted immediately to condemn the unacceptable actions and punish the students”.
However, the union official wrote in their report that “staff were concerned that any reporting of events may reflect badly on their teaching practice rather than the appalling behaviour of students”.
They also wrote how teachers felt “matters are not dealt with seriously” by St Bernard’s College, and “there is a ‘boys will be boys’ attitude towards matters of sexual harassment and violence”.
The Independent Education Union advised “an independent person be appointed” to deal with complaints at the school.
Another day, another all-boys private school making headlines for the most appalling reasons.
